


Promises Kept

by ElisaPhoenix



Series: Finding Home [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fennecs (Dragon Age), M/M, Mabari, Mentions of Dorian's Parents, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-27 19:25:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17772791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElisaPhoenix/pseuds/ElisaPhoenix
Summary: Dorian and Elisa return to Halamshiral for the Exalted Council.Sequel to Finding Home.Also still accepting prompts!





	1. Chapter 1

They had arrived at the Winter Palace two days prior and Dorian was immensely thankful Elisa had the mind to drag him to Orlais early. The Inquisition’s inner circle were allowed rooms in the palace again, and the younger wasted no time in finding theirs and all but throwing him into bed so he could sleep off the seasickness. Thankfully, Dorian recovered overnight, and the two were able to catch up with friends and gather information about the Exalted Council. Currently, the mage was listening to the Ferelden delegate prattle on about how the Inquisition needed to be disbanded, and desperately trying not to yawn from the boredom. Between his feet, Kit had no problem showing his own yawn as he scratched his head with his back foot, his collar clinking quietly at the movement. Dorian had donned him with one as soon as they got to Tevinter so he was not taken in case he wandered too far from the estate. It also helped when they traveled back and forth between Minrathous and Skyhold.

“A letter for Ambassador Pavus.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he watches Elisa approach the servant and take the letter before returning his attention to the still rambling Ferelden (and people thought _he_ talked too much). Dorian may have recently been given the title of Ambassador, but he was already getting letters, and some of them did not require his immediate attention. So while he dealt with the emissaries, Elisa monitored his letters and let him know if one of them was important enough to pull him away from an ‘important’ conversation. From the look on her face when she opened the letter though, this was one of those important missives.

Elisa approaches the two after her mask falls back into place. “Excuse me, but an urgent letter has arrived for Dorian.”  
Arl Teagan eyes her disdainfully and Dorian takes the letter from Elisa. “Perhaps we can continue this conversation later?”

The mage walks away with Elisa before the Arl can say anything, and they make their way over to the couches until the younger redirects him to the palace and then to their room. Dorian raises an eyebrow in query but otherwise says nothing as they enter their room and Elisa gently nudges him into a chair. Kit, who had trot after them at the first sign of movement from Dorian, takes his place in the necromancer’s lap. Elisa takes a seat on the arm of his chair as he reads the letter, and after a few moments, the paper crinkles under his grip as Dorian shakes. 

“Tell me this isn’t true.”

Elisa reaches down and folds the top of the letter down to show him the broken Magisterium seal, and Dorian covers his face as his eyes mist over. The seal was proof enough that the contents of the letter were true. A letter that told him that his father was assassinated and that he was the new Magister of House Pavus. All cheerfully of course. 

Kit, sensing his distress, uncurls himself and stands on hind legs to lick Dorian’s face until he pushes him back down. “Not now vulpeso.”  
“Dorian…”  
“I didn’t know I was still his heir.” He wipes away unshed tears until Elisa stops him.  
“It’s okay to be upset. You might not forgive him for what he tried to do, but he was still your father.” She gently cards her fingers through his hair and Dorian closes his eyes. “I think he knew and that’s why you have this new fancy title. It was a way to send you away from the danger.”

Dorian opens his eyes and looks down at the letter again, rereading the words, and then beginning to believe that Elisa might be right. Halward did seem genuinely sorry in Redcliffe, and when Dorian thought about his second trip back home to Qarinus, he couldn’t help but recall the one-sided conversation that _Elisa_ had with his father.

*********

_“Why exactly are we sneaking around your childhood home?”_

_Dorian shoves his sister into his room before one of his father’s approaching slaves can spot them and he closes the door softly before turning and moving about his room to gather the wanted items and books._

_“You are with me this time. As much as I would have liked to leave you in Minrathous, I do need help carrying some things back.”_  
_“That doesn’t explain the sneaking.”  
Dorian winces at her words as he pulls a few books from their shelf. “I would rather not find out how much my parents know about you. I don’t know how they would take your presence.”_

_Elisa takes the sack that Dorian hands her in silence, and when the mage finishes grabbing what he wants, they make their way to the front door. His earlier glimpse into one of the sitting rooms confirmed that his mother was indeed drunk again, enough that she wasn’t aware of their presence, and Dorian could only assume that his father was still absent. His wish had gone unheard though when a cleared throat stops the two in their tracks. With a defeated sigh, Dorian turns around and comes face to face with his father._

_“Father.”_  
_“Leaving without saying goodbye?”_  
_“I never said hello.”_  
_Halward frowns before glancing behind Dorian. “This must be the Lady Umbra I have heard about.” Dorian winces. “I have heard stories about the Winter Palace and Adamant Fortress, but I have wanted to hear the truth from you. What is she to you?”_  
_The younger Pavus straightens. “Family. At least what family should be.”_  
_Halward sighs. “I only wanted what was best for you.”_  
_Dorian opens his mouth, fully intent on yelling at his father again, but Elisa beat him to the punch. “What’s best for him or what’s best for you?!”_

_Both Pavus males stare at the young lady as she steps out from behind Dorian with a look that could kill._

_“I know all about what you tried to do. No father should ever try to change his child! It’s sad that a legacy is more important than Dorian’s happiness. Look at your own life. I’m sure there’s little to no love between you and his mother, and you want to force that on him? How dare you!”_

_Dorian really did try to silence Elisa but every time his mouth opened, no sound came out. In truth, he didn’t want to stop her. She had effectively silenced them both, and the bewildered look on his father’s face was too good to be true. Dorian was surprised from both her defense and her outburst, and he knew she only really spoke like this when she thought it important._

_“Dorian has so much love to give and you taught him to hide it. To be ashamed of it.” Elisa’s glare disappears and she shakes her head. “If you can’t accept him for who he is, you don’t deserve him.”_

_The necromancer was then grabbed by the hand and dragged out of the Pavus estate when his father said nothing, and it took the walk to their horses for Dorian to finally say something._

_“I’m going to remember that look on his face for the rest of my life.”_

************

Dorian looks up at Elisa with a soft smile. “You might have had a hand in my title sorora.”  
Elisa wrinkles her nose. “Why do you say that?”  
“I think my father liked you.”

This earns a delicate snort from the young warrior, but she follows it with a hint of a smile nonetheless. She then takes the letter from his hands and replaces it with her own as she pulls him to his feet after picking up Kit and placing him on the ground. The fennec gives her a huff of annoyance but otherwise sits next to their feet. Elisa reaches up to fix the small mess she made of Dorian’s hair with her fingers, and when she finishes, the mage takes her hand and softly kisses her knuckles before releasing it. She had always looked out for him, even in Tevinter, making sure he took care of himself when he got too lost in his work. It usually happened when Maevaris came to visit and Elisa took it upon herself to find him some food and a bottle of wine when the two worked late into the night. She sometimes replaced candles that burned low, and other times she would direct him to bed when he had gone a number of days without an adequate amount of sleep.

She was well liked by Maevaris and the house staff. Dorian had given the slaves their freedom, and those loyal to him stayed as servants, but Elisa tried not to ask them for much. She wasn’t comfortable having people at her beck and call. She barely accepted the fact that she was viewed as the Lady of the house. If Dorian asked not to be disturbed, the servants went to her. She did rather well with simple questions and tasks, but if something was beyond her power or if she didn’t know how to proceed, she would be the one to disturb Dorian. 

“Do you need more time before you brave your talk with the Orlesian delegate?”  
The mage laughs. “I will be fine. Besides, I hear that Nolan, Josephine, and Cullen will be arriving this afternoon.”  
Elisa grabs his arm when he moves toward the door. “Does being Magister change our plans?”  
“Not in the slightest. We will be going back to Skyhold when this is over.”

Dorian gently pats her hand and she releases him as she follows him back to the delegates’ location. She returns to her position a few feet away, but still close enough to come to his aid in case any others tried to harm him. Something rare but had already happened twice during their trip to the Winter Palace. Now that he was taking his father’s seat in the Magisterium, it was only a matter of time before the rumors spread and the attacks grew more frequent.

He would never admit it out loud (Elisa wouldn’t be amused), but he found it rather funny when his sister took his assailants by surprise and quite literally knocked them on their asses before they got close. She was quick enough that he didn’t even have to throw a barrier around himself for protection.

“So about that evil laugh that Sera asked about…” Elisa starts.

Dorian grins.


	2. Chapter 2

Dorian was beginning to regret not taking that extra time before braving the conversation with Duke Cyril de Montfort. The man was infuriating with the way he talked, and even more so when he caught the Orlesian eyeing the fennec between his feet. No matter who it was, they always looked at the creature with a predatory glance and it irritated the mage. Having a fennec as a pet was a trophy for them to flaunt to guests since the creatures were hard to tame, and he could only imagine they were wondering if they could steal him away from Dorian. If they tried they would be sorely disappointed. Kit would only cry and scratch anyone that wasn’t Dorian because, as much as he hated to admit it, he was mom. Elisa was the only exception, and it was a pain to have anyone else watch him. Leaving him with Josephine when Dorian and Elisa left for the Arbor Wilds was a nightmare.

“Orlais is on your side Lord Pavus. The Inquisition’s support is not a thing to lose lightly.”  
Dorian holds back a groan as he folds his arms. “Which is why the Orlesian court is circling it with a net and collar?” Movement from behind the Duke takes the mage’s attention and Dorian finds Nolan approaching. “You’ll have to excuse me. I see an old friend I must greet.”

Without another word, Dorian moves past the Orlesian delegate and over to Nolan, pulls him close and greets him with a kiss. When he moves away, he notices Elisa leaving in the direction the Inquisitor came from and he smiles. She was undoubtedly going to find Cullen now that someone else was with Dorian. With his own smile, Nolan leads the mage to the couches down the stairs, and Dorian takes a seat with Kit quickly joining him and curling up against his thigh.

“I see his attachment to you hasn’t wavered.”  
“He is a baby. It doesn’t matter that he’s almost three years old.”  
Nolan chuckles. “What have you and your shadow learned about the council?”  
Dorian gives a condescending laugh. “Orlais wants the Inquisition tamed, Ferelden wants it gone, the Chantry meddles, and Tevinter sends but one Ambassador.” The mage smiles up at Nolan. “That’s me, by the way. For my interest in the South.”  
“I imagine some death threats come with this new title?”  
Dorian crosses a leg over the other. “Nothing Elisa can’t handle.”  
“Best friend, sister…now bodyguard?” Nolan asks with amusement.   
“She took that position by herself. The title would only be a formality at this point.” The Tevene then frowns. “Speaking of titles, I got a letter this morning.”

Dorian tells his lover of the letters contents. He had not told Nolan of his and Elisa’s plan to return to Skyhold with him, and from the frown beginning to form on the man’s face as he relayed the morning’s events to him, he could only assume Nolan thought he would be returning to Tevinter. The mage had a few reasons for not doing so. One, Elisa had very little in Thedas that made her happy. While Dorian was a big part of that, she also had Cullen, and he noticed that while she did enjoy her time in the Imperium, she was much happier in Skyhold. His second reason was purely his own selfish need to be near Nolan. The third? Morrigan had left behind the eluvian and Dorian and Maevaris had acquired one in Tevinter. So he could stay in Skyhold with the Inquisitor but still be able to go to Tevinter when he was needed.

“I suppose you no longer need to correct anyone when they call you a magister.”  
“Now, now. Don’t pout Amatus.”  
“You are returning to Tevinter.”  
Dorian sighs fondly. “Well it was going to be a surprise—”  
“I could go with you.”

That certainly had the mage reeling for a few moments. He never imagined hearing those words. At least not outside his wildest dreams and here was Nolan doing just that. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

“If you would let me finish…I was going to say that Elisa and I were planning on returning with you. Eluvians are quite useful. Don’t you agree? Besides, I imagine your illustrious Commander wanted to raid Tevinter on one occasion or another.”  
Nolan answers him with a laugh. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Elisa walks over to the two and stands next to Dorian, only for him to sniff and look up at her with a look of repulsion. She smelled as if she found the nearest mud puddle and rolled around in it and then got a bath from a druffalo.

“Sorora. Why do you smell like wet dog?”  
The ravenette groans. “Cullen found a mabari.”  
“Of course he did. Go take a bath before I throw you in myself.”

Elisa leaves with a heavy sigh and Dorian turns his attention back to Nolan who smiles at him knowingly. They both knew the threat was not an empty one. The mage would scrub her down himself if needed and it had almost happened before. His sister had been covered in demon guts and other unidentifiable fluids and she stank to high heaven. Dorian literally threw her into one of the pools in the bathhouse when they returned to Skyhold and only let her out when she scrubbed herself red. He then had Nolan ask for that specific pool to be thoroughly cleaned.

Sera and Iron Bull found the whole thing hilarious.

“I was going to go catch up with everyone but I don’t think Elisa will be happy with me if I leave you alone.”  
“I am not a helpless maiden. I think I can fend for myself until she gets back.” Dorian glances at the chessboard on the table in front of him. “You can always send the Commander over for a game of chess if he promises to leave his mutt behind.”  
“I’ll talk to him. No promises about the dog.”  
“I suppose it would be too much to ask of a Ferelden village boy.”

Nolan leaves with a grin, and Dorian readies the board for Cullen’s imminent arrival. It was no surprise when the ex-Templar arrived with the mabari in tow, but at least the beast lay at the blonde’s feet when he sat down on the opposite couch. Kit growls quietly at the mabari and Dorian quiets him with a gentle pat on his head and a few soothing words in Tevene. The fennec huffs, but lays his head back on the couch, trusting that the mage would keep him from harm.

“Where is Elisa? I thought she came back here.”  
“She is currently washing herself of the smell of dog. Have you washed that beast yet?” Dorian starts the game by moving one of his pawns.  
Cullen rolls his eyes. “I half expected a lecture from you.”  
“I was trying to be nice seeing as it is behaving itself, but I can give you a lecture if you want one. There are things I could point out.”  
“No thank you.” The man replies dryly as he makes his own move.

A few minutes pass in silence as the two play their game and the quiet is occasionally broken by lazy wuffs from Cullen’s mabari, and Kit’s answering huffs. At one point, a servant comes by with a couple plates of fruit and a bottle of wine, and the mage pours himself and the Commander a glass. Only when he lifts the goblet to his face, does he sneeze multiple times. 

“Are you alright?” Cullen asks as Dorian puts the goblet back down.   
“Ugh.” Was his eloquent answer before pulling out his handkerchief. “Is this wine a new concoction of Orlais?”  
“I think I heard some of the nobility saying something about stripweed.”

Dorian groans at the blonde’s words. Of course it was. Tevinter liked using stripweed in tea, and it was only a matter of time before it found its way south and apparently into Orlesian wine. Now the mage couldn’t enjoy the wine because he was terribly allergic to the stuff. He was lucky he didn’t manage to drink anything, or he would be covered in hives by now. At that thought, Dorian pushes his goblet closer to the Commander with a grimace and instead turns his attention to the fruit platter.

“You’re not drinking?”  
“I rather like my skin the way it is. Stripweed gives me sores.”  
“You are allergic then?”  
“Very. On a happier note, how was your little reunion with sorora?” He munches on a couple of grapes and gives one to Kit when the fennec perks up.   
“She was covered in dog slobber before I could even open my mouth.”  
“What is it with animals and their fascination with drooling on her?”  
“I admit it was not as nice a kiss I could have gotten from her after that.”  
Dorian chuckles. “It serves you right.”  
“She told me about your letter. I’m sorry to hear about your father.”  
“Thank you.” Dorian moves another of his pieces on the board. “It still doesn’t seem real. The letter was rather perverse.”  
“You are a Magister now. While you got the position under bad circumstances, you can do more for your homeland. I suppose you will both be staying there permanently.”

Dorian didn’t bother correcting the Commander. He would let Elisa tell him of their plans. He didn’t want to repeat himself any more than necessary.   
His young charge once again joins them after another few minutes pass, freshly clean and smelling of Embrium much to Dorian’s delight. He was so used to the smell of the flower on her that he automatically associated it with Elisa whenever he smelt it. It surprisingly complimented the smell of the oil she used on her gunblade.

“The Inquisitor is getting ready to go speak with the Council.”  
Both Dorian and Cullen look up at her and the Commander sighs before moving to his feet. “Duty calls.”  
Dorian scruffs the fennec beside him and holds him up long enough for Kit to crawl behind his neck and settle against the collar of his robes. “Ten royals say they call the Inquisition a rogue army.”  
Both Cullen and Elisa sigh before responding in unison. “We _are_ a rogue army Dorian.”


	3. Chapter 3

Elisa had disappeared during the Council, and Dorian soon discovered why when Nolan got up in the middle of the discussion and left the room. Divine Victoria, though Dorian would always think of her as Leliana, had suggested a recess and quickly left the room herself with Dorian close behind, and the mage stops in his tracks when they enter one of the buildings off the courtyard. Lying against the wall opposite the door was a _fully armored_ dead Qunari warrior.

Nolan frowns. “Where did he come from?”  
Leliana stands from her crouch. “Lady Umbra is looking into it as we speak. His wounds were caused mostly by magic, but some by blade as well. He was likely separated from his group.”  
Dorian folds his arms. “A group that no one noticed? I find that impossible. Qunari aren’t exactly stealthy.”  
Elisa walks in with a grimace. “They don’t have to be when they’re using Eluvians.”

Dorian felt his heart drop at her words. Nolan and Leliana looked equally distressed.

“I will extend the recess as long as I can. Josephine can keep the Council occupied while you look into this.”  
Nolan turns to Elisa. “Where is the Eluvian?”  
“An upstairs storage room in the palace. Just follow the blood.”  
“I will find Cassandra. You and Dorian go to—”  
The mage holds up his hand to interrupt his lover. “She cannot join us. Eluvians are too closely connected to the Fade”  
The Inquisitor sighs heavily. “I forgot. Then the two of us will find the mirror. Elisa can you find Cassandra and Varric and send them our way? At least if anyone sneaks past us, you and Cullen will be the first line of defense.”

The younger nods and Dorian takes Kit from around his neck and passes him off to Elisa. She wanted to join them, he could tell from the look in her eyes, but they all knew that it was deadly for her. Nolan very rarely took only one of them with him because while they were a formidable pair together in battle, Dorian and Elisa were all the other had. The only good things they had, not including their respective significant others. Of course, they had their friends, but their fraternal bond was much stronger than that. 

“Keep him away from Cullen’s mutt.”

Elisa nods before taking a couple of flasks from her belt and pushing them into Nolan’s hands and leaving to find the Seeker and the dwarf. A quick glance revealed a blue liquid that the Inquisitor was looking down at with confusion. The man was a rogue, so Dorian couldn’t help but chuckle at his expression.

“They are for me Amatus.”  
“That doesn’t explain why she gave them to me.”  
“You don’t know about our emergency reserves?” Nolan looks at him and shakes his head until Dorian motions toward his own belt. “A few of her blades. After Adamant, she wanted to take precautionary measures. Although, if I absolutely needed to, I can use them too. She successfully beat a few tricks into my head while we were in Tevinter.”  
Nolan smiles as he slips the flasks onto his belt. “I wish I were there to see _that_!”

The couple leaves the small building and follows the blood tracks over to the lattice and climbs them up to the open window and through the closest door to stand near the active Eluvian. It didn’t take very long for the other two to join them, and when they did, Nolan wasted no more time in entering the mirror. Once on the other side, Varric points out some movement on the path to the right, and the small group follows.

“Sparkler! Is that steel I see?”  
Didn’t he just have this conversation? “Is it?” He makes a show of looking at himself before fingering the blades at his hip. “Look at that! I never would have known!”  
“I could do without the sarcasm. Spooky teach her big brother some new tricks?”  
“I’m going to ignore the fact that you tried to subtlety compare me to a dog.”  
Cassandra scoffs. “Speaking of Lady Umbra…have you ever told her Dorian?”

Told her? Told her what? He was fairly certain that he had no secrets he was keeping from her, and if he did, he wanted to know how Cassandra knew. The mage looks at the warrior and finds an amused but gentle smile on her face, and that only served to confuse him even more. Perhaps she wasn’t referring to a secret?

“I admit I’m rather at a loss to what you are asking.”  
She sighs. “Have you ever told her that you love her?”  
Dorian sputters. “I thought it was obvious where my preferences lie.”  
Nolan was the one to laugh. “Not romantically Dorian. People can love their family as well.”

The necromancer freezes in his tracks and the other three walk a few more steps before noticing his abrupt absence and turning to look at him. Except Dorian was too lost in his thoughts to notice. Love among family? Now that he thought about it he wasn’t sure he ever heard those words from his parents so maybe that was why he never related it to anything but romance. Elisa was not blood but she was the family Dorian never had and thought a family should be. _Did_ he love her like Cassandra believed? Thinking about it just made things clearer for him. He knew he cared for the girl, but never knew what to call it. All of his feelings about her suddenly made perfect sense.

“Aw hell. We broke the mage.”

Yes. He loved Elisa. Very much so.

*******************

“I think you are actually starting to wear a hole into the stone.”

Elisa stops the pacing she wasn’t even aware she was doing and looks down at Cullen to find the man petting the mabari. The dog had tried to tackle her again when she arrived with Kit, and it took some wrestling for Cullen to keep him down and reprimand him for trying. Although he was having trouble learning the ex-Templar’s other tricks, he seemed to understand that tackling and drooling all over Elisa was off limits. She was relieved with the knowledge that she wouldn’t have to take multiple baths a day just to keep from being pushed out of bed by Dorian.

“They will be fine.”  
Elisa pinches the bridge of her nose. “I know that, but not being able to do anything…”  
“It’s frustrating. Believe me, I know.”

Cullen grabs a nearby stick and tosses it into the courtyard after he moves to his feet, and he and Elisa turn away and laugh when the mabari chases after it, knocking over anything in his way. A couple of nobles being the unlucky victims.

“You better give him a treat for that. That’s a trick he shouldn’t forget.”  
Cullen chuckles. “I just might.” The mabari comes back with the stick and he takes it and throws it again, farther from the nobles much to Elisa’s disappointment. “Do you and Dorian plan on visiting still when you go back to Tevinter? Or is it permanent?”  
“What?”  
Cullen rubs the back of his neck. “Dorian will be assuming his father’s seat. I can only imagine that your visits will dwindle or be non-existent.”  
“Didn’t Dorian tell you?”  
“Tell me what?”

Elisa grabs the man’s arm with hand and reaches up to turn his head to her with the other.

“We’re coming back to Skyhold after this.”  
She releases a startled ‘oof’ when Cullen pulls her into a tight embrace and smiles when she feels him sag his shoulders. “Thank the Maker. I wanted to send soldiers to drag you both back at least three times. I almost went personally twice. The Inquisitor threatened to replace me with Cassandra or throw me into a cell.”  
“Well you won’t need to do that anymore.” Elisa pulls away enough to study his face. “How are your withdrawals?”  
“Better. I still have bad days but not nearly as often. Elfroot tea helps more than it used to.”  
“I’m glad. If my brother were here, you wouldn’t need to suffer at all.” At Cullen’s puzzled expression she corrects herself. “Not Dorian. Back home.”  
“Is it hard…knowing you can’t go back?”  
“Sometimes.” She admits with a frown.

It was one of the reasons she went with Dorian to Tevinter instead of staying in Skyhold with Cullen. Having a brother was familiar and comforting, but a romantic partner was still strange to her. Of course she had seen romance before, but never directed at her, and it was different than she expected. Not to say she didn’t like it. Cullen was attentive and caring in his own way, and he knew when to step away and give her room. Romance took some adjusting to. It took them both a few weeks to get on a first name basis after their first kiss, and it didn’t help when both Dorian and Nolan teased them both ruthlessly about it.

“I’ve been wondering for some time now…but does your father have a wife? I know that you don’t have…”Cullen clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably.  
Elisa smirks at his unfinished sentence and he relaxes. “No. He has a husband. I have two dads. Did Dorian really not tell everyone? I was the only girl in a house of ten men.”

Cullen blushes so darkly that Elisa half expected steam to rise from his face.

“That explains…quite a bit actually.”  
“Was that an insult?”  
His eyes widen. “No! It was a compliment! I’ve seen you walk around with wounds that would make my senior soldiers cry.”

Elisa looks down when she feels light scratching on her thigh and Kit whines as he settles back down onto his haunches. No doubt he was getting hungry, and if he was coming to her, he probably couldn’t find any mice. This meant she would have to track down a servant to bring some raw meat for him.

“Your mommy spoils you.”  
“Dorian denies everything when it comes to the fennec.”  
“Don’t believe him. It’s all a lie. He loves Kit…but don’t tell him I told you that or he’ll flog me.”  
“The collar is proof enough.”

Cullen’s mabari finally comes back from his second run and Kit growls at him after frantically climbing up to Elisa’s shoulder and she sighs.

“What’s that phrase? The pet reflects the owner?”  
Elisa snickers. “Don’t let Dorian hear you say that.”

She then pets Kit’s head to calm him down and walks away to begin her search for one of the palace servants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be some back and forth points of view between Dorian and Elisa in this story.


	4. Chapter 4

Dorian sneezes multiple times as they leave the room containing the elven artifact that had empowered the Anchor in Nolan’s hand as well as cause the man momentary pain. The mage’s concern was interrupted by his allergies, and he swears in Tevene when he goes through another sneezing fit.

“If it’s all the same to you, can we please move on from this _bloody tower_?!”  
Cassandra offers him a handkerchief that he accepts gratefully. “Are you ill?”  
“No!” Another sneeze. “Stripweed!” He motions toward the fields of stripweed far below them on the ground and the other three peer over the wall.  
“It affects you from all the way down there?”

Nolan turns back to Dorian with a raised eyebrow and the mage returns it with a watery glare from behind the Seeker’s handkerchief. Thankfully, he seemed to take pity on the suffering necromancer and led them through the tower’s eluvian and back to the bridge to set the statue on the pedestal. When they crossed the bridge to follow the Qunari, Dorian finally started to feel better and was able to slip the handkerchief into his satchel. 

“I’ll be sure to return that to you clean.”  
“Not a moment before Dorian or I will tell your sister about your terrible manners.”  
Dorian sniffles. “You have nothing to worry about.”  
“Focus. We’re going after Qunari.”

Cassandra and Dorian nod to the Inquisitor and follow him through the next eluvian and the mage instantly casts a barrier around the four just before one of the Tal-Vashoth cleaves them in half. Instead, the sword bounces off Dorian’s barrier and Cassandra kicks him down to bring down her own sword and behead the Qunari warrior. The Seeker runs to battle the others and the three men support her from afar until one of Varric’s bolts kill the last of them and they start looting the bodies. Nolan stoops over to pick up a piece of paper and he holds it up after reading it.

“They knew the eluvians were connected to Halamshiral.”  
“Perhaps they got bored of Tevinter and wanted to try the heart of Orlais?” There definitely wasn’t a tiny bit of hope in Dorian’s question.  
The Inquisitor pockets the letter. “We better get back and show my advisors—”

Crashing alerts the four to an approaching Tal-Vashoth and before any of them ready their weapons, Dorian throws one of Elisa’s knives and it finds its mark in the enemy’s neck. When the body crumples to the ground, the other three turn to the mage with looks of disbelief and Dorian clears his throat. If he were honest, he was even surprised with himself. The motion was an instinct he wasn’t aware of, and it only showed how well his sister beat it into his muscle memory. He would never admit it out loud, but he was glad to have a few extra tricks up his sleeve, even if Elisa’s lessons were merciless.

“Color me impressed Sparkler. Even your aim was perfect!”  
“I was actually aiming for his heart.” Dorian cautiously approaches the body he downed and retrieves the blade before wiping the blood off. “Don’t tell Elisa. There will be no living with her smug looks if she finds out.”  
“We should leave before we get any more surprises.” 

***************

They separated once they made it back to the palace and when Dorian arrived at his spot at the couches, he was very affectionately greeted by an armful of fur that jumps at him and hangs on the front of his robes. Kit whines to him and nuzzles the underside of his chin and Dorian holds his head against his chest to stop his frantic nuzzling. His separation anxiety was something he was still working on, and the fennec didn’t seem to be making any progress. The way things stood, it was probably going to be something Dorian had to accept about him.

“Vulpeso…what am I going to do with you?”  
Elisa approaches him and the mage eyes the mabari hound a few feet away before turning his attention to her. “How bad is the situation?” She asks.  
“We’re not sure. With Qunari in full armor though, they could be planning war.”

And _there_ was the grumpy expression Dorian was waiting for. While he and the rest of the inner circle were trying to stop whatever was going on, Elisa had to stay away and she _hated_ it. While she was not violent by nature, fighting was an enormous part of her lifestyle so sitting around was not agreeing with her. She certainly was a woman of action. It was no wonder Elisa and Cassandra got along so well. So well in fact, that during her short time of being a baby, she took to calling the Seeker ‘Cassie’ (it was really just easier for baby Elisa to say), and then when the spell wore off the name stuck. Only Elisa could get away with it. Varric tried and nearly got disemboweled.

Dorian pokes the scrunched skin between her brows. “If you keep scowling like that, you will get wrinkles.” Kit squirms in his hold until he breaks free enough to try his frantic nuzzling again, but the mage firmly holds the fennec’s head down again.  
“I hate this.”  
“I know. For what it is worth, I think Nolan feels better knowing that you and the Commander are on this side in case anything happens.”  
“Any idea who killed the first one?”  
“Likely a mage, but that’s all we have right now.” The two sit on the couch and Kit immediately curls onto his lap with a satisfied purr. “Miserable furball.”

The two sit in silence and Dorian begins to ponder about his earlier realization. He felt he needed to admit his feelings to Elisa, but had no idea how to go about it. It was bad enough that everyone knew about them before _he_ did. Maybe Elisa already knew? She did have brothers, but she also only knew them for a year. He wondered if she even did love her family back home.

Dorian scowls at the thought and ignores Elisa’s own probing finger between his brows.

Of course she did. Elisa may have had the emotional range of a training dummy when he first found her, but Dorian was able to break that wall down little by little and find someone with just as much love to offer as he did. They were alike in some ways. Both afraid to show who they really were whether it was because of torture Elisa endured, or simply being taught not to by Dorian’s parents. His first year with her made him realize how tired he was of keeping a mask of indifference. He could be himself around her and it was liberating.

“I can hear you thinking Dorian.”

She wanted to know _what_ he was thinking about and he almost told her, but one look at her concerned expression made him lose his nerve.

“It’s nothing.”  
Elisa regards him for a few moments before turning to the table in front of them and grabbing the bottle of wine he and Cullen abandoned earlier. “Wine?”  
“Not that poison.”  
“Who are you and what have you done with Dorian?”  
The man rolls his eyes as Cullen approaches the two. “The Inquisitor is going back through the eluvian. He asked me to send you.”  
“Here I was hoping I could take a quick nap.” Dorian rises after setting Kit on the couch beside him and the fennec cries until the mage points at him. “That’s enough out of you. Behave yourself.”

Kit answers him with a whine but settles next to Elisa, and Dorian gives his sister a peck on her forehead before heading back to the eluvian.

**************

An arrow imbeds itself into Dorian’s shoulder and he yanks it out with a painful hiss when only the head of it gets through, and turns to his assailant with every intent to burn the Tal-Vashoth with a fireball. 

Only nothing happens.

“Kaffas!” 

Dorian attempts other spells and looks at his hands in horror when he can’t even summon forth a spark, and the enemy takes advantage of his panic to shoot another arrow at him. This one piercing his side, and that he again removes with a curse before readying himself for melee attacks. His staff didn’t do much damage, but it was distracting enough until Nolan and Varric killed the Qunari with their own arrows.

“Are you alright Dorian?”

The world begins to spin around him and Dorian slumps against the closest wall before sliding down into a hunched sitting position. No. He was not okay. He couldn’t use magic and now he was feeling very sick. He was growing feverish and his body wasn’t doing what he wanted it to, and he was terrified. He couldn’t move. He had no strength.

“Shit. This is bad.” Varric throws down the arrows that had wounded the mage. “Magebane and Tears of the Dead. We need to get Sparkler to a healer yesterday.”

As if the mine being flooded wasn’t enough. But Dorian couldn’t actually say that for obvious reasons. The poison working far too fast.

“You and Cassandra clear a path for us. I’ll help Dorian and use the Anchor when I can.”

Dorian groans when Nolan pulls him to his feet and throws one of his arms around his shoulders, and they begin their painstakingly slow trek back to the entrance. Dorian did his very best to walk under his own power while his vision blurred and darkened, but it wasn’t much help. The Inquisitor was essentially dragging him until halfway through when he finally shouted something the duo ahead of them and scooped Dorian up. The motion causing the mage to loll his head against Nolan’s shoulder and black out.

At least he thought he did. But the pain was excruciating enough that he realized he had shut his eyes tightly from the agony. It felt like hours until he was placed on a bed, but it brought him no comfort. The shouting seemed to rattle his very bones and he wanted so badly to tell them to stop. 

Only when the pain got to a point that he couldn’t withstand, did he finally find oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am definitely putting my own spin on Trespasser (I have only played it once but I’m trying to keep to the story I promise). I know I’m avoiding the actual story but I’m sure most of you noticed I’m trying to focus more on the characters.


	5. Chapter 5

Elisa froze when she saw Nolan racing out of the storage room where the eluvian had been relocated, with Dorian in his arms. She couldn’t even open her mouth before he was rushed into their room and Varric was running a different direction to find a healer. She follows Nolan and Cassandra to her shared room with Dorian, only to be held back by Cullen when Varric and a couple of healers hurry past. It took everything in her not to turn and yell at the Commander when the door was shut on her.

She had absolutely no idea what was going on, and it worried her. Elisa took to pacing in front of the door for the next hour, silently thankful that Cullen didn’t try to pull her away. He merely stood nearby and waited quietly. When the door finally opened, the somber looks on the healers’ faces as they walked away made Elisa’s stomach drop. Varric only gave her the same look and it made her want to cry.

“What’s wrong with Dorian?”  
Varric sighs. “You better come in…just…well don’t get your hopes up. It’s not looking good.”

Elisa walks in and swallows the rising bile in her throat after seeing Dorian unconscious on the bed with bandages covering his shoulder and his side. What really bothered her though was his shallow breathing. It only let her know how much pain he was in, even comatose. With a whimper she barely noticed came from her, she sits on the edge of the bed and leans down to gently lay her head over his heart. His heartbeat slow and erratic was the battering ram to the wall that kept her tears at bay, and she cried.

“I want to stay with him but we still have to stop the Qunari.”  
Cullen looks from Elisa and nods to the Inquisitor. “I’ll stay with them. I’ll post extra guards by the eluvian.”  
Cassandra shakes her head. “Cullen, we need you to be the Commander right now. I will stay with them.”  
Nolan nods. “I’ll take Blackwall and Vivienne with me then.”

The youngest looks up at the Inquisitor when he gently grips her shoulder and wipes her eyes before placing a hand over his. He couldn’t stay with someone he loved when they were hurt because he was expected to take care of their current predicament whether the Council appreciated it or not. He was a good man and she loathed the fact that others took advantage of his kindness. With another gentle squeeze, he leaves with Varric and Cullen briefly caresses her cheek before following them. It was only her and Cassandra now, and of course Kit who had slipped into the room a few minutes prior and jumped up onto the bed to lay by Dorian. He seemed to be aware that the mage was in pain because he was careful about his movements.

Elisa wets a rag and places it on Dorian’s forehead. “How bad is it?”  
“Poison. Magebane being one of them. The healers did what they could but potions can only do so much. Either he will purge the poison or…”  
“Or he’ll die.” Elisa looks at the table by the bed and stares at the assortment of potions and salves. “Is there anything to help with the pain?”  
“They said to try water with elfroot if he wakes up.”

Elisa didn’t fail to notice that the Seeker said ‘if’ and not ‘when’. It only broke her heart further and reminded her that it was a very real possibility that Dorian might not make it through the night. The only comfort for her, however miniscule it was, was that he was not alone. Every once in a while, he would exhale a shuddering gasp, and Kit would nose his hand for affection, only to whine quietly when he made no move to pet him. In the back of her mind, Elisa wondered how Kit would handle the mage’s death (if he were to perish) and it didn’t take very long for her to come to the conclusion that he would probably handle it as well as she would.

Not at all.

Her thoughts only continued to spiral downward with Cassandra unaware of her inner turmoil. She was finally content with her new life in Thedas, and that happiness was going to be stripped away. Dorian was the one that saved her life. He took her in and cared for her with hardly any questions and she was extremely grateful. Elisa always tried to make things easier for him and it sometimes confused her when he would simply wave her away with a smile and tell her to ‘stop fussing over trivial things’.

For the most part, Elisa and Cassandra sat in the room in silence, the latter eventually grabbing a book from the shelf by the door and skimming through it after sending the guard outside the door for some food. When their meals arrived though, they hardly touched it and their plates sat abandoned on another table and grew cold. Cullen periodically checked in when he had the time, and even Nolan had been able to sit with them a couple of times before he had to drag himself back to the eluvian. The first time, Elisa had noticed him trembling and clenching his hand, but when she asked him about it, he merely smiled and told her it was nothing.

Shortly after he left the second time is when Dorian started seizing.

“Cassie!”

Cassandra jumps from her chair and yells at the guard to find the healers, and turns to help the younger keep Dorian from hurting himself further. Their effort was futile though. The few minutes it took for the guard to bring back the healers was too long and Elisa found herself staring down at Dorian with despair.

He had stopped breathing.  
***************  
The pain had stopped.

That was the first thing he noticed as he opened his eyes, and the second thing being that he was in the Fade. Strange. Not entirely where he expected to be when he died.

“That’s because you’re not quite dead yet.”

Dorian knew who that voice belonged to before he even turned to face them. His father looks back at him with a frown that made the younger Pavus look at him skeptically.

“She was right.”  
“ _What?_ ”  
“The young lady. I’ve had quite a bit of time to think about what she said.”  
Now Dorian was definitely suspicious. His father seemed more and more like a demon or a spirit. “Just what kind of demon are you?”  
Halward sighs. “I am sorry. For not treating you as my son, for trying to change you…I am glad you found someone that was willing to do what she did. Her reputation precedes her.”  
“How much did you actually hear about her?” Dorian folds his arms and looks away. “Us?”  
“I know what you did for her at Adamant Fortress. Rumors of a Tevinter mage and his sister helping the Inquisition…”  
“So no actual details.”  
“Enough to make me curious.” A forlorn expression crosses the elder’s features. “I wish I had thanked her for protecting you.”

It all felt unreal. His father was apologizing to him and if Dorian had still been in pain, he would have chalked it all up to a feverish dream. Halward Pavus did not apologize for his faults. He covered them up, swept it under the proverbial carpet, and pretended nothing happened. Maybe that was why he was here now. He felt guilty and wanted to repent for his transgressions. 

But Dorian wasn’t ready to die. Not yet. He still had many things he wanted to do. Reform Tevinter, live a happy life with his _family_ …Nolan, Elisa, _Kit_ (because who needed children when one had a fennec that had separation anxiety) and he did not want to leave them behind. Especially Elisa. He refused to die without telling her how much he really cared for her.

“I need to go back. I didn’t fight Corypheus and Qunari to die here.”  
“I believe the one you call your sister is coming up with a miracle as we speak.”  
Dorian frowns. “She has no powers.”  
“She has an item that does.”

Dorian looks down when his body is bathed in a golden light and with one last glimpse at his father, is plunged back into oblivion. He wakes up with a strangled gasp and takes in gulps of air before sitting up and looking around, and his gaze eventually stops on Elisa and the red-gold feather in her hand. The look of tear-stained cheeks motivated him to reach out and pull her into a tight embrace.

She had cried for him. Elisa had been tortured, attacked, and sometimes belittled, but she never cried. For him, she did. Including the time the Nightmare had a hold of her dreams even after they had left the Fade.

It took a few moments for her to return his embrace, and she cried freely again. So Dorian quietly soothed her in Tevene as he looked up to find out who else occupied the room. Cassandra, Cullen, and Nolan stared at him as if he were a ghost, but the grip Elisa had on him proved otherwise. So did the scrambling claws when Kit found whatever space he could to get as close to Dorian as possible.

When Elisa’s quiet sobs cease to some sniffles, Dorian pulls away enough to cup her face with his hands and wipe away her tears with his thumbs. “I take a break for twenty minutes and you turn into a mess.”  
She winces at his words and Cassandra speaks for her. “Dorian…” The mage turns his attention back to the Seeker. “You’ve been dead for over a day.”

A day. How was he alive? Someone dead for over a half hour stayed that way. Dorian remembers his father’s words and looks down at the feather still held tightly in Elisa’s grip. She had an item with powers. He didn’t recognize the feather and assumed it was from her world, but then that raised the question of how had he never seen it before.

“What is that?”  
“A phoenix feather,” she whispers.   
“That is _not_ a phoenix feather.”  
“Not a phoenix from here. It’s my brother’s. Back home, phoenixes heal and protect.”  
“The complete opposite of the ones here. How long have you had that?”  
“Ever since I got here. I had completely forgotten I had it until now. It was sitting at the bottom of my satchel.”

With a startled huff, Dorian braces himself as Nolan joins them with his own hug, and that was when the mage noticed something different.

“Amatus! Your arm!” He reaches out to gently grip what’s left of the man’s arm. “You should have said—”  
“There was nothing you could have done.”

Dorian notices Elisa look thoughtfully at the feather in her hand before holding it against his arm after pushing Dorian’s away. The feather glows gold and everyone in the room watches in astonishment as Nolan’s arm reforms into one of just flesh. The anchor and its magic completely absent.

“I’m starting to appreciate things from your world.” Nolan flexes his fingers with a toothy smile.   
“Only my brother’s powers can do that. He can stop you from aging too.”  
Dorian perks up at that. “Forget Tevinter! Maybe we can use this to safely get you home and I can meet him!”  
“You love your homeland Dorian. You don’t mean that.”  
“I do…a little. I’m serious about using it to get you home though.”  
Elisa smiles. “I told you. I’m happy here. Besides, now that I’ve used it, I’m sure my brother will be able to find me.”  
Cullen sighs with relief from his position between Cassandra and the door. “That’s good to know. I would have had to follow you.”

Dorian notices the shared look between the Commander and Elisa, but chooses to let it go so he can finally give some of his attention to Kit. He apparently had quite a bit to catch up on and decided to leave it for later so he could spend the rest of the day consoling his sister and lover, and assure them that he was very alive. He just needed to figure out how to keep Elisa and Kit away long enough to spend some…private time with Nolan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the next chapter will be the last. Hopefully this didn't come across too rushed.
> 
> Still waiting for that picture of Dorian and Kit! (jk. I don't expect anything.)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The previous chapter was not the greatest, I know. I blame it on anxiety. It makes me lose focus sometimes.

Waking up to a world of green haze was unnerving, and if everything she heard about the Fade was anything to go by, it should be impossible if not very unsafe for her. Elisa felt completely fine though, and after looking around, realized how familiar it all was. She remembered the few moments of physically being in the Fade before collapsing, and she was waiting for it to happen again. The thought terrified her. If she collapsed, no one was around to save her this time.

“You are safe. This is only a dream.”

Elisa turns and comes face to face with Solas. A dream? She shouldn’t be able to dream like this. Only mages could enter the Fade in their dreams, or in some cases, anyone who took lyrium. She had not though.

“How am I here? I should be dying.”  
Solas watches her thoughtfully. “Under normal circumstances, yes. Your bond with Dorian is strong though. Using that, I was able to bring you here.”  
Elisa frowns. “That doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t explain why I’m not being harmed either.”  
The elf sighs. “Your presence in our world is a conundrum, but to put it simply, Dorian’s magic took on the protective traits of your brother’s feather when you used it on him. He had protected and used magic on you often and long enough that your body welcomes it.”  
“How do you know about that?”  
“That’s not important. I brought you here so I could speak with you without your mage intervening.”  
Talk? “About what?”

The ravenette was still confused. Why would Solas want to talk to her? He already seemed to know more than he led others to believe, and the Inquisitor had told them about the elf being Fen’Harel. A powerful being that created the Veil to banish old gods. In the back of her mind she wondered if he had always had the ability to get her back home safe, but he hadn’t because it would reveal who he was and ruin his plans. Something Nolan had done already.

“When you arrived with Dorian, I knew there was something different about you. So I watched you. Your blade was my first clue, you had no knowledge of the world and how it worked, but when I found out what happened during your trip to the Fade…” Solas shakes his head.   
“I’ve heard this a hundred times.”  
“I inadvertently brought you here. I didn’t know how until you used that feather, but I believe after the Conclave was destroyed, the Breach weakened the Veil and somehow your brother’s magic temporarily tore it open long enough for you to come through. Was he with you?”

Elisa crosses an arm over her chest and uses the other to grab her chin in thought. Her memories were still fuzzy of the time before, during, and after falling through the rift so it was hard to say. Some of them flashed by in her _normal_ dreams but not nearly enough to put together the actual event. It did still bother her since she was sure it would answer other questions. Questions that Solas was now asking her.

“I still don’t remember.”  
Solas frowns. “Just how powerful is he?”  
Elisa lowers her hand from her face to cross it over the other. “He’s not like a normal phoenix. The Inquisitor told us what you did to the Qunari…he could reverse that. Just one of his feathers gave Nolan his arm back and it also—”  
“It also revived Dorian. How long was he dead?”  
“Over a day.”  
“His power is great…it is likely that going through with my plans could destroy your world as well.” He holds his hand up when Elisa glares at him. “I am not Corypheus. I do not want to destroy your world, let alone this one. It is not the only thing that is making me think twice though.”  
“Why are you telling me this? Whether you try or not, the Inquisition is looking for you. Nolan is committed to changing your mind.”  
“I truly hope he does. For now I will offer refuge to my people and watch for a little while longer.” Solas looks to his left, seemingly at nothing. “Your Tevinter brother caught on to my trick faster than I thought he would. It seems the feather did more than I originally thought.”  
“More? Like what?”  
“Enhanced his magic. He is stronger but still has control. His theory about the feather was right but he won’t need it. He can send you home safely without it.”  
“I’m not sure if I will go home. At least I haven’t made a decision yet.”  
“The choice is yours, but it is time for you to wake up.”

******************

Dorian had forced himself awake shortly after discovering that somehow Elisa was able to enter the Fade through a dream as well, and he panicked. He looks down at the head buried into his chest and reaches up with his free hand to a pale neck (the other trapped beneath Elisa’s head), and sighs with relief when he finds her strong and steady pulse. He pulls his hand back and covers his face with a shaky exhale until the body in front of him stirs, and he looks back to Elisa as her eyes flutter open.

“You’re clinging again.”  
“I have to stay warm somehow. I nearly forgot how cold Skyhold is.”  
“You have the Inquisitor to keep you warm.”  
“And you have Cullen but here we are.”  
“Why aren’t you with him anyway?”  
Dorian huffs. “I imagine the same reason you aren’t with the Commander. They’ve been working all night and I’m far too familiar with an occupied bed to sleep well otherwise.”

He wiggles away from the girl, shoos Kit off of his hip and slides out of bed to get dressed. In the middle of his task, he remembers his earlier panic and pauses after sliding his tunic onto his arms.

“Are you alright? I noticed you were in the Fade with me.”  
“I’m fine. Apparently it was because of the feather.” She sits on the edge of the bed with a yawn.  
He finishes putting on his tunic. “Really?”

The mage listens quietly as his sister tells him what happened, and what was discussed with Solas. When she got to the part about his magic being stronger, Dorian tests it on the logs on the fireplace and stares at the flames as they grow taller and taller, and with a flick of his wrist, extinguishes them. He was gladder he had control than the fact that he had this power. He would still have to be careful though. If anyone found out about his boosted magic and how he came to acquire them, it would cause chaos. The war between mages and the world would start all over again.

When Elisa tells him that his theory about the feather was right, Dorian stopped. She had told him that she was happy here in Thedas but she never actually said she didn’t want to go home. Of course, she had Cullen, but the man would likely tell her that if she wanted to go home, she should and that he wouldn’t hold it against her.

He also said that he would have to follow her if she did.

Dorian knew Cullen well enough to know that he would follow through on that promise. Maybe not immediately. He would stay behind just long enough to tie up loose ends. It all meant that Cullen was no longer an excuse for her to stay behind. Maybe the mage was, but he would put her happiness first. Even if that meant possibly losing her forever. But if he could send her home under his own power, perhaps he could visit her. He _did_ want to see what her world was like.

“Sorora.” Elisa looks up at him curiously. “ _Do_ you want to go home?”  
She looks down and Dorian’s heart clenches at her next words. “Yes…and no. Cullen already made it clear that he would come with me if I do, but you…”  
“I want you to be happy.” Dorian walks back over to her and crouches in front of her, gripping her hands tightly. “You have family there too. I’m sure they miss you.”  
“But you’re family too.”

He had to prepare himself for his next words. They were likely to help her make a decision.

“We always will be.” Dorian grips her hands even tighter and blinks away the mist in his eyes. “I love you sorora. Nothing will ever change that. If you go, I can always try to find a way to visit.”  
Elisa gives him a weak smile. “Promise?”  
“Promise.”

*************

It took her a month to make her final decision, and after another week to give her time with their remaining friends in Skyhold, they found themselves in front of the eluvian Morrigan left behind. Only Elisa, Dorian, Cullen, and Nolan stood in the room staring at the mirror that the mage would manipulate to take her home directly. No Crossroads and no Fade in between. They never told their friends that she had decided to go home, that the time spent with her would be their last.

It made things less complicated.

“Ready?” The young warrior looks at Dorian and nods, and he holds his hand up to the eluvian until it activates and reveals a large mansion. “Is that your home?”  
“…yes. I swear my dad is always adding onto it. A lot of people visit and usually stay for a few nights so there are a few extra bedrooms.”

A heavy silence settles among them until Cullen steps closer to her and pulls her into a tight embrace. The mage had been right about the Commander choosing to follow her once he tied up his own loose ends; one of those ends was that he would see his family. Another to find a replacement.

Dorian and Nolan turn away to give them a few moments and the Inquisitor takes the mage’s hand in his. “Are you okay?” he whispers.

Dorian didn’t answer. He was afraid that if he did, he would lose what little control he had on his emotions. He wasn’t. He wanted to deactivate the eluvian. He wanted to demand Elisa to stay with him. He wouldn’t though. The part of him that put her needs first won out against his selfishness and it was breaking his heart. He wouldn’t show Elisa that pain though. He knew she would change her mind if she realized how much it hurt him.

“Inquisitor.”

The couple turns back to face Elisa and Nolan accepts the hug she gives him, and then she turns to Dorian after stepping away.

“Will the Tevinter magister-ambassador be safe enough without me?”  
Dorian scoffs half-heartedly. “I have Nolan. There are people in Skyhold who like me enough too.” He smiles. “I’ll even remember to feed myself.”  
Elisa pokes his side. “I’ll know if you don’t.”

She then takes him by surprise when she throws her arms around his neck and buries her face into his neck. He returns the embrace just as tightly and cups the back of her head as he swallows against the tears that demanded to fall. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Dorian finally got a hold of himself, still refusing to show her his pain, and nearly missed her whispered words as she pulled away.

“I love you too.”

With one last kiss on Elisa’s forehead, he releases her and she steps back toward the eluvian. Elisa sucks in a breath, clenches her hands into fists, and steps through the mirror. When Dorian was sure she was safely back home, he deactivated the eluvian so all that it showed was the reflection of the room, and only then did he let his mask break.

He sobbed.

He didn’t even notice when Nolan wrapped him up in his arms.

He just knew that even though he kept his promise…

…it was the hardest and most painful thing he had ever done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have nearly cried myself just writing those last few sentences. There were a lot of ideas I had to toss around but I did it. I don’t mind leaving it here, but another sequel can be possible but it would be a crossover. I know this was much shorter than Finding Home and there wasn’t much Trespasser in it, but I’m still pretty happy with it. 
> 
> Let me know if you enjoyed it!
> 
> Dorian & Elisa prompts will still be accepted!

**Author's Note:**

> Nice comments are my motivation!!


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